1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to allergy testing and, more particularly, to a device that allows for containment of a plurality of allergens and for the individual application of such allergens for testing a patient's reaction thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Allergy testing involves subjecting a patient to a wide variety of different allergens to determine which allergens cause allergic reactions in the patient. Such testing requires that the respective allergens be applied beneath the surface of the patient's skin. One conventional method is to individually place a drop of allergen on the patient's skin and then prick the contacted skin so that the allergen will be delivered under the patient's skin. In another method, an allergen is deposited on a pick at the end of an applicator and the patient's skin pricked to deliver the allergen beneath the surface.
Applicator picks of this type have been proposed arrayed on a sprue to be broken individually therefrom along respective break lines such that the picks may be individually removed so the respective pointed tips may be pressed against the epidermis on which allergen has been previously deposited. It has also been proposed to package a number of individual picks in a container to be removed individually for use. Various tray devices have been proposed for use with such picks.
Other individual picks have been proposed which incorporate a tiny cup shaped plastic button opening to one side and having a sharp pick projecting centrally therefrom so that drops of selected allergens may be dropped into different ones of such buttons and the buttons then applied to the patient's skin to penetrate the skin surface with the central pick. A device of this type has been advertised by Combion Systems Incorporated, 1712 Clubhouse Road, Suite 102, Reston Va. 22090 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,083.
Multiple allergen applicator devices have been developed including a multitude of applicator picks arrayed in predetermined spaced relations so that in one application, such multitude of allergens are delivered to the patient simultaneously. One such multiple allergy testing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,979 and includes a multitude of applicator picks fixedly attached to a hand held applicator. The applicator picks are arranged for overlying a support base having a plurality of apertures formed therein for removable receipt of disposable vials containing allergens. In operation, the hand held applicator is positioned over the vials to submerse the respective picks in such allergens to wet the picks for subsequent application to the patient. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,181, another hand held allergy testing apparatus is disclosed having a multitude of applicator needles fixedly attached by means of machine screws to a movable applicator member to inject a preset number of allergens under a patient's skin.
The aforementioned multiple applicator devices incorporate a multitude of components requiring time consuming assembly, including the individual attachment of the respective picks or needles to the hand held applicator resulting in increased cost of production and increased cost of the testing apparatus as a whole.
With economy in mind, it has been found desirable to provide allergen application devices that are so inexpensive to manufacture it would be practical to dispose of them after a single use. By way of example, one such disposable applicator formed with a multitude of ganged together applicator picks is sold by Lincoln Diagnostics Inc., Decater, Ill. under the trade designation "MULTI-TEST" as shown at 30 USPQ2d 1817 and at 1821 (U.S. TTAB), U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,080. The multiple applicator devices shown are in the form of plastic frames formed with laterally disposed legs terminating in spaced apart feet defining respective penetration points disposed in a common plane for receipt of respective allergens to be simultaneously applied to a patient.
Although such multiple allergen applicators have been found acceptable for their intended purpose, the fixed number of applicator picks subject the patient to a fixed number OF skin pricks irrespective of whether or not the testing by a full complement of allergens is dictated. In addition, some clinicians prefer to use a single applicator device so the location on the patient's skin can be selective.
One such application is in the form of a portable tray incorporating upwardly opening wells spaced thereabout for receipt of tubular shaped vial tubes containing the respective allergens. The vial tubes are configured for receipt of the picks of the individual applicators to be submersed in the respective allergens for subsequent application to the patient. A device of this type is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,906 and, although such device has been very effective in use, the costs associated with the production and manufacture thereof are substantial.
Hence those skilled in the art have found a need for a disposable multiple allergen container device that allows for individual application of such multitude of allergens under a patient's skin while allowing for practical disposal of such device after use. In addition, there continues to be a need for a container device which limits the waste materials created by the use thereof. Moreover, the device should incorporate a minimum number of relatively inexpensive components to minimize manufacturing costs and decrease assembly time. The instant invention addresses such needs.